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<h2>"Why me?!"....</h2>This question is often asked aloud or silently whenever we encounter hardships, suffering, and any type of inconvenience that life throws our way. It's easy to let thoughts take over that lead us to believe that somehow, we are being "targeted" and that the tough times are just our "lot in life". From a Heathen perspective, I would like to to submit the following for consideration... The Norns weave the threads of Wyrd, and each strand binds us to the world’s greater pattern. To ask "why me?" when hardship strikes is to gaze upon a single knot and forget the tapestry it strengthens. In Heathen thought, we live within *Wyrd*, the vast, interconnected web of cause and consequence. What befalls you is not punishment or cosmic whim but the natural unfolding of what has been—your deeds, the deeds of your ancestors, and the ripples of countless others. The past is carved in stone, yet the present lies beneath your feet like soil ready for planting. You stand not as a victim of fate, but as an agent of *Orlæg*, your personal portion of the weave. Suffering, then, is not a question of "why me?" but rather "what now?" Life tests the spirit, tempers the will, and demands courage. Our ancestors knew that courage, loyalty, and trust were important precisely because hardship is certain. The gods themselves know suffering—Odin hung upon Yggdrasil, Tyr lost his hand, Thor faces endless giants. Yet none turned from their tasks or questioned the burden. They acted, accepted, and grew. When pain strikes, remember: you are not a solitary leaf adrift. You are rooted in kin, community, and the deeds that outlive you. The question is not why the storm came, but how you will weather it. Will you meet adversity with honor, or yield to despair? The choice, though shaped by the past, remains yours. So, rather than "why me?" ask, "what can I learn?" "What can I give?" "How can I shape my Wyrd so that those who come after find strength in my example?" In doing so, you honor the ancestors, yourself, and the endless weave of existence.<figure id="figure-9ktc072qbm85z9j7x"><img id="9ktc072qbm85z9j7x" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1564598328706-70cecb6ad257?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxub3JzZXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NDE3ODc0Nzl8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="closeup photo of brown wooden statue" title="closeup photo of brown wooden statue" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1564598328706-70cecb6ad257?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxub3JzZXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NDE3ODc0Nzl8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure>

Why Me?!

What does "healing" mean to you? What does it mean to be "healed" of something? To me, it means "to make well or whole". To restore what once was broken, damaged, or sick. When we talk about healing, it is important to include the individual work that goes into such efforts. You may go to a doctor when you're sick. The doctor will often prescribe medicine or something for you to take in order to help heal you. But the doctor themselves doesn't actually consume the medicine. You do. You have to "follow the doctor's orders" if you expect to be healed. So too must we put the work in if we seek healing beyond our physical needs. Perhaps you seek out a shaman or medicine man for such things. They will not "wave their magic wand" and make your sickness disappear. They will equip you with the things you need to heal yourself, and guide you on the path towards restoration. But you must put in the work yourself. We must also remember that healing is restorative. Would you continue to take antibiotics after the bacterial infection you contracted went away? Would you keep on wearing a cast after a broken bone is healed? No, you wouldn't. The same is true of all sickness, whether physical or otherwise. So, allow yourself to be healed. To be made whole. And once you are, release yourself from the chains that kept you bound in that sickness to begin with. And become free.<figure id="figure-yq05a0e22im85x96al"><img id="yq05a0e22im85x96al" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/151539771/photo/tanum-h%C3%A4llristningar-viking.jpg?b=1&s=2048x2048&w=0&k=20&c=GQ29A7VDdzWVvEfkqKUVyTF_CgAsiqkCbJSdWfXPLKI=" alt="Tanum hällristningar-Viking" title="Tanum hällristningar-Viking" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="Image: Tanum hällristningar rock carvings" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/><figcaption class="body-normal text-gray-500 mt-2">Image: Tanum hällristningar rock carvings</figcaption></figure>

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Why Me?!

What Does Healing Mean To You?